The Fruit of Her Loins
by Jacy Pane
Summary: Two months have passed since she survived the Omega-4 Relay and destroyed the Collector base.  Shepard and Garrus have been enjoying one another, but she's been acting cranky.  The shocking news of her being pregnant could cause turmoil. Chapter 2 is up.
1. Itch With a B

A/N: I don't own anything. The Mass Effect series and characters belong to Bioware. =)

* * *

><p>A soft sigh escaped the woman's lips as she tilted her head back, feeling the hot water trickling down every inch of her body. She carefully placed her hands on the wall and stared up at the shower head, seeing the clouds of steam thicken around her. Suddenly two familiar hands came up from behind her, forcing a smile from the soldier.<p>

"I thought you could use some company," Garrus said in a pleased tone, burying his face in her neck. Shepard let out a quiet sigh as she grazed her slender fingers over her partner's fringe.

"And here I thought I would have to beg..."

"You still might."

Her soft laughter filled the bathroom as the Turian firmly pressed his hands on her bare body, running them up and down her waist as he softly nibbled at her neck. Shepard leaned back against him, feeling his erection as it pressed up against the small of her back, forcing her to groan a bit as she gripped his fringe. His hands continued to explore her until they rested on her large breasts. Soon he began rolling her nipples between his fingers, gently pulling at them. Her expression immediately changed at the sharp pain as she lightly hissed,

"Don't do that."

"Hmm?"

He obviously didn't hear her and the woman started to become pissed when he failed to listen to her request.

"I said knock it off!" She blurted out in an irritated tone, forcefully pushing his bare hand away, and pinning it to the side of the shower. Garrus jerked his head back, shocked at her actions as he stared down at the woman. Shepard turned towards him, giving him an icy glare that forced his member to gradually retreat back into his lower plates. He gently slid his hand away from her grasp, rubbed the back of his fringe, and stepped back with a curious look on his face as he replied,

"Did I do something wrong, Shepard? You've always enjoyed that before."

"Just leave me alone, Garrus."

His jaw dropped a bit at her brash behavior as he raised his hands up and moved aside to let her pass. Just as she pushed him away and started to make her way out of the bathroom, Garrus grumbled,

"Whatever you say, _Jack_..."

Her body suddenly froze mid step at the comment.

"...What did you just call me?" She asked in an unusually chilling tone as she slowly turned her head and glared at the male Turian. Any colder and his head would have burst open in a gory scene.

"Nothing...sorry..." He muttered beneath his breath as he turned his head to the side, sheepishly glancing between the woman and the floor. Shepard turned away as she violently threw her clothes on and stormed out of the loft in a huff, while Garrus stared in bewilderment, cocking his head to the side as he watched her leave. He shook his head as he stepped out of the shower and into his armor in silence.

* * *

><p>The Specter proceeded onwards to the second level, still upset by what happened earlier in her quarters as she passed by the kitchen.<p>

"Commander Shepard! Interested in sampling some venison soup?" Sergeant Gardner beamed, ecstatic about the new recipe he conjured up, a spoonful already in his hand like an over eager parent ready to shove food down a child's throat. The other crew members seemed to be enjoying it enough.

"Sure," She replied with a shrug as she sauntered over to him. The commander only made it a few steps before the smell hit her; it was like walking into a brick wall. What the hell did he put in there? Shepard jerked back in disgust, trying to mask her expression as she brought a hand up in defense, shaking her head as she said, "On second thought, I'm not really hungry."

"Well in that case, I'll make sure to save a heaping portion for you. I know how you soldiers like to eat!"

At least he wasn't offended. She forced a smile that looked more like a crooked grimmace as she continued on, soon feeling her stomach churn. In retaliation, her body wrenched forward, forcing her to clasp a hand around her mouth. Shepard ran to the restroom, tasting the mild bile on her tongue before she hunched over the toilet and began retching. Moments later she heard the automatic doors slide open. She erected her arm towards the entrance as if to make a barrier between her and the unwanted guest.

"Oh ho ho-hey, Commander. I never thought you were the religious type. You drink too much last night?" The all too familiar voice snickered. Shepard panted in the bowl, feeling her stomach twist and turn in ways she deemed nearly impossible, then turned to see none other than the helmsman, leaned against the doorway, arms crossed and, his eyes glimmering in amusement.

"What the hell are you-_RHAAAA_-doing-_GAHHH_-here?" She asked between her violent bouts of vomiting.

"Uh, well I _WAS_ going to take a leak. Men's room?" He replied, lifting a hand up in a 'duh' gesture. The sight started to become painful even for him, seeing his commander purging her system of her morning breakfast. Joker cleared his throat, trying to keep his own food where it belonged. He scratched the back of his scalp, then gently tugged on the bill of his cap as he lifted a brow, his grin soon disappearing as he continued, "You really don't look that great, Commander. Maybe you should go see Dr. Chakwas."

She hung her head low into the toilet, letting out a painstaking grunt that echoed in the bathroom before lifting her head and running the back of her hand across her cherry lips to rid her mouth of any back-splash. When she peered up from the metallic bowl, the blood had almost completely drained from her face, making her look surprisingly more pale than usual. Joker shifted his weight from the doorway and encircled his arm around the commander as if to help her up to her feet. His gesture wasn't as graceful as he wished, but he never thought the day would come where she would actually be using _him_ as a crutch.

"Oh yeah, this is awesome, Commander!" He finally said, sarcasm lingering in his voice as the two commenced onward, limping together with each heavy step they took. A task that should have only taken a moment, seemed to be taking forever. Shepard was surprisingly heavy, leaning most of her weight on Joker, who seemed to be having as much fun as she was. They came close to falling a few times, only making it halfway there before Garrus spotted them in the corner of his eye. He rushed towards the crippled pair, wrapped Shepard's arm around his shoulder, and held her to him, relieving Joker of the extra weight as he gazed over at him wih a questioning glance.

"What happened?"

"Hey, don't ask me, alright. I don't know what you and the commander do in the late hours, and frankly, I don't want to know. I just witnessed her praying to the alloy gods and handing them offerings."

Joker shook his head, fighting back a neglected shudder as he turned his broken form away from the two and limped back towards the bathroom. Some of the other crew members had started to nose around, hearing the commotion as some witnessed the commander and Garrus heading towards Chakwas's office.

* * *

><p>"What seems to be the problem, Commander?"<p>

"I haven't been feeling well lately, Doctor."

"What symptoms have you been experiencing?"

"Every time I smell food I feel sick to my stomach. Sometimes it makes me throw up."

"Anything else?"

"Nope. Nothing else."

She was lying.

"When was the first day of your last menstrual period?"

Garrus shifted uncomfortably as he crossed his arms over his chest, placing most of his weight on one hip as he raised a brow plate and looked at Shepard, perplexed and curious of her next answer.

"Pardon?"

"I'm a doctor, Commander. I can't do much for you unless you answer my questions."

"Uh-I don't know...a couple months ago, I think. I couldn't honestly tell you, Doctor. I haven't had a regular cycle since Cerberus brought me back."

That was the truth.

"I see. Well, let's get a blood sample from you then, and see what we have here."

Shepard gave the woman a nod as she relaxed on the bed. The feeling in her gut had subsided for the moment, but she still felt uncomfortable, knowing her questions wouldn't be answered immediately. She didn't have time to be sick; there were Reapers that needed to be killed, things she needed to do. Her illness was starting to become more of a hassle than it was worth. Shepard peered over at Garrus as the doctor made preparations to extract her blood, seeing him leaned up against the wall, head down, and silent. He had been that way almost the entire time they had been there. What was he thinking about?

Being the true soldier she was, she didn't even flinch when the needle was inserted into her arm; It was finished almost as quickly as it started. When everything was said and done, Shepard slid off the bed and glanced over at the older woman when she heard her say,

"It'll take me about an hour to run all the necessary tests. Until then: get some rest and drink plenty of water. I'll come up and see you once I get the results."

"Sure, thanks Doc," Shepard replied with a small smile as she stepped out of the infirmary with Garrus following closely behind her. Though the other crew members had their suspicions, only a few knew about their relationship. The two remained professional, but while all the others were fast asleep in their quarters, they were still awake, making sure the other wouldn't get a wink of sleep.

* * *

><p>One hour had passed, then two...then three. Still there was no word about Shepard's troubling ailment. Garrus remained seated next to a his partner at the edge of her bed, entangling his thick fingers in the silken strands of her dark brown hair. He lightly caressed her cheek with his thumb, watching as the woman drifted in and out of consciousness, quietly pondering to himself. There was no way her period was knocking at the door. His sense of smell was far superior and he couldn't smell any hint lingering on or inside her.<p>

Hearing the door open, Garrus quickly snapped his head towards the direction of the entrance, seeing Chakwas and Mordin as they stepped in. Shepard's eyes fluttered as she slowly awoke and glanced at her Omni-tool to check the time.

"You know, usually it's the patient that's late for appointments, not the other way around," she joked as she pushed a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and smiled, a bit curious why Mordin had decided to join in.

"Good that you're both here. Need to talk," Mordin said hastily as he and the female doctor stepped closer.

"It's not that simple. I asked Dr. Solus to come as well. Your situation is a...delicate one to put it lightly."

"Delicate?" Shepard jerked her head back with a chuckle, then continued, "So what is it then?"

The two professionals gave each other a glance as if waiting for the other to say something, then Chakwas spoke up as she turned to Shepard and replied with a deep breath,

"Commander...you're pregnant."

Garrus could feel his throat close up as he swallowed hard, like that of a teenage boy being caught red handed fooling around with someone's innocent daughter. The four remained silent while the Turian tugged at the collar of his armor as if that could free him from the situation. In his fidgeting, he glanced over at Shepard, seeing her calm and collected, almost amused. That was when she let out a strained laugh.

"Nice one, you two. I never knew doctors had such twisted senses of humor."

"Not a joke, Shepard."

It still took her a moment to process, but soon her chuckles came to a halt. The woman hung her head down as Mordin's words drowned in the back of her mind. She could scarcely believe it. No.

"...That-that's impossible..."

"I thought so too. There are absolutely no records on Turian, human conception. Once I spoke to Mordin, he confirmed to me that you two have been...intimate," Chakwas replied, forcing a sharp glance at Mordin, upset that she hadn't known about it sooner.

"Not impossible. Turian's give birth to live young. Though odd, Turian physiology has changed drastically over the evolutionary period. Besides, stranger things have happened. Survived Omega-4 Relay. Brought back to life by Cerberus. First human Specter and now first human to give birth to Turian."

"...Yeah...lucky me..." Shepard sighed as she remained still in the bed, staring down at her lap as the reality of the situation gradually sunk in.

"Shepard..."

Garrus stared at his lover with saddened eyes as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder, rubbing it tenderly as his heart sunk. His mind was going a mile an hour, wondering if she would want to keep it or not. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't, after all he wasn't of her kind. The unknowing made him feel even worse as he sulked into worry and depression.

"How far along is she, then?" Garrus finally choked out as he rested his eyes on Mordin and Chakwas.

"Six weeks. You should be getting some tenderness in your breasts and nipples, mood changes, diversion from certain foods...morning sickness."

The heavy sigh that escaped her lips proved that she had been experiencing most, if not all the symptoms that the older woman rattled off.

"Ultimately your decision, Shepard. Pregnancy could turn difficult, both physical and mental for you. Too soon to be sure, though."

"Thank you...both of you."

Chakwas stared at the commander, concerned for her well being as she finally said,

"We'll leave you two alone for now. If you need anything, then don't hesitate to ask."

Mordin nodded in agreement and soon the two made their leave for the couple to ponder on the news. As soon as she heard the doors close behind them, Shepard began to feel hot tears form at the corner of her eyes. She fought back her sobs as she felt Garrus's hand on her back, but she couldn't help herself; she needed to cry. So she did.


	2. Alcohol and Anger

_Embrace eternity_

The woman let in a deep gasp of air as her eyes fluttered open, like a person coming up for oxygen after being submerged in water. Her feminine form stirred beneath the covers as her eyes adjusted to her familiar surroundings, trying to remember what had just happened. Shepard groaned, bringing up a hand to rub her eyes as she heard the door slide open. She turned her head, having to double take as she saw Garrus in her doorway holding a tray of food.

"Hey...Sorry to wake you. I just thought you might be hungry," he said quietly as he made his way towards her, tray in hand, and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I don't usually eat this soon after I wake up, you know."

"You need to eat, Shepard," Garrus responded in a more somber tone as he pushed the tray on the commander's lap and helped her sit up in the bed. He rested his hand on her spine, rubbing her back softly as he watched her cautiously staring her food down. The tray was filled with various sweets from donuts and chocolate to miniature cupcakes and coffee, none of which had any shred of nutritional value. She sometimes indulged herself in such things, but this was a bit overboard even for her. Seeing her expression, he then said, "Mordin suggested that these might be easier for you to keep down. Here..."

He ruffled through one of the napkins on the tray and uncovered a bottle of capsules, showing them to Shepard.

"And these are from Dr. Chakwas. She said you would need to take two a day."

"Thanks, Garrus. I appreciate it," Shepard replied as she slowly took a bite. She didn't realize exactly how hungry she actually was until she started chewing. Her bites became bigger each time until she was practically inhaling her food. The Turian couldn't help, but stare in awe, seeing frosting collect at the corners of her mouth, coffee dripping down her chin, and her loving every second of it. His mandibles flared out when he chuckled. Though the sight was a little disturbing, it was cute at the same time. It was a complete switch from what he witnessed the night prior, seeing her break down in front of him. They still hadn't had the chance to talk about what their next step should be, much less what their relationship actually entailed. Now didn't feel like the right time to bring it up, but he doubted the right time would ever come.

"Shepard...We need to talk," he finally managed to say as he rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to bring up the topics that were plaguing his thoughts. "About the baby."

The woman turned to look at him with a mouthful of food. As soon as she finished chewing her breakfast and swallowing in silence, she lightly dabbed at her mouth, cleaning herself of the mess she managed to make, then replied,

"What about it?"

"What were you planning on doing?"

Shepard took in a deep breath at the question as she glanced over at him, placing the tray on the nightstand as she repositioned herself on the bed, so that they were looking directly at one another.

"I think whatever we decide, we need to agree on it."

Garrus's brow plates shifted to a frown as he took her hands in his, cradling them gently in his touch. That was not what he expected to hear and her answer brought some form of relief and newfound fear, but he couldn't bring himself to ask her what she wanted.

"I want to keep it. It's our child, Shepard...I..."

He turned his head away from her and shook his head as if in defeat. Garrus knew this pregnancy could cause complications for the entire Normandy, but most importantly her and her health. There was a slim chance that it would even survive and if it did it would be the only one of it's kind. He took all these things into consideration, but he just couldn't bring himself to not put in his two cents. Aside from casting his eyes on her beautiful naked form, this was the only other time he wanted to be selfish.

"...You know I'll support whatever you want to do. Chakwas told me she would perform an abortion if that's what you wanted...to keep the peace..."

Was it hot in there? It sure felt that way to him and Shepard's silence didn't ease his discomfort. Garrus once again pulled at the collar of his armor, then slowly slid her hands out of his grasp, stood up, and let out a dejected sigh as he said,

"I should go...There's some things I need to take care of..."

With that he turned away from her, pausing for a moment before retrieving the tray and walking away. Just as he reached the door, he stopped and said,

"Oh, and the crew is talking about all of us heading to Afterlife for a belated celebration. It isn't my first choice, but I think some of the men want to get a couple of dances..."

He shrugged his shoulders, then stepped out, not waiting for an answer; he just needed to get the hell out of there and fast, especially after sticking his foot in his mouth like that.

* * *

><p>"Set a course for Omega. I think everyone has deserved to relax for one night at least."<p>

"If you consider being on Omega relaxing. Does that mean you're feeling better today, Commander?" Joker asked as he turned his head to look at the woman, cocking a brow suspiciously. "I think we'd all get kicked out if you threw up all over the bar."

"Joker, I've shot Krogan while having a hernia. A stomach bug isn't going to hold me down. Just plot the course."

"Aye, aye, Captain," The helmsman replied as he turned back towards the console. With a smile, Shepard turned away, her heels lightly clicking as she walked through the Normandy, making her way to the com system.

"We'll be docking at Omega in ten minutes, everyone. Report to the hatch once you're ready."

The few seconds following the message, all was silent, but soon the dull voices of crew members cheering could be heard, forcing the commander's lips to form into a smirk.

* * *

><p>Shepard sat at the bar, cradling her chin in her hand as she stared at the selection of drinks behind the counter. It was a cruel tease, knowing she couldn't drink in good conscience, but she also knew that the other members couldn't find out about her pregnancy. The last thing she wanted was to put everyone on edge, so she sat there alone, listening to the other patrons gossip and sipping on her glass of water.<p>

On one end of Afterlife, she could see Joker getting a spicy lap dance from an Asari and could have sworn she saw him swipe his credit chit between her ass cheeks. In fact most of the men were enjoying the company of some of the strippers, save for Grunt and Thane, who chose to be in more secluded areas. Legion was busting a move on the dance floor with Tali and the Yeoman, though it was difficult to know if he did it due to programming, or simply out of boredom. Jack was consuming shot after shot alone. The others must have been in the lower levels, or on the other side of the bar where she couldn't see them.

"Shepard, let me buy you a drink."

She turned her attention towards the voice to see Miranda walking up to her with a smile. She smiled back as she shook her head and responded,

"I'm alright."

"You destroyed that Collector base. You deserve to kick back and relax," Miranda responded as she sat next to Shepard.

"This night isn't for me. It's for my crew. I should be the one buying."

Before her squad mate could say another word, Shepard signaled the bar keep and ordered a shot for her comrade in arms, sliding the drink over to her as she raised her glass of water with a smirk. Miranda couldn't help but laugh at her stubbornness, so she thanked her and raised her glass as well.

"To saving the world. One day at a time."

"Cheers," The commander responded and gave a nod of approval while they pressed their glasses together and drank. As the cool water traveled down her throat, Shepard turned her gaze seeing Garrus at the corner of her eye. He was sitting across the room at a booth with an Asari dancer gyrating on the table and Zaeed practically waving his credit chit to persuade him to get a lap dance, his treat.

"C'mon, now! Don't be a goddamn pussy!"

Zaeed's drunken banter forced her to cough in her glass, causing water to splash into her cup and all over her. Even Shepard didn't know whether the sight shocked her or amused her, but she started to hack into her arm to clear her lungs, water dripping down her chin and onto the tight leather dress she decided to wear for the night. Somehow Garrus heard her through the blaring techno music and soon she saw him staring directly at her, moving from his seat to make his way towards her, despite Zaeed's attempts of persuasion.

Shepard immediately stood up and excused herself from Miranda's presence, then started to make her way to the restroom, trying to avoid the awkwardness of being caught watching, when they had hardly spoken a word to each other all night. She passed a few patrons, weaving through the small crowds to lose herself in them and soon she found herself towards the back end of Afterlife. It was then that she felt someone snag onto her wrist. Quickly, she turned around, expecting to see a certain familiar face, but was met by a different Turian male. A very drunk Turian at that.

"You need something?"

"I need you baby. You look niiiiice. Why don't we go somewhere private, so you can wet my hose?"

Shepard lifted a brow as she forcefully yanked her hand away from him, watching him as he swayed from side to side, seeing the haze over his eyes as she scoffed,

"Not a chance."

"Aww, now, don't be like that. Me and my friends here just want to have a little fun."

Hearing extra sets of footsteps, Shepard shifted her eyes towards the shadows, seeing a few others starting to make their way towards her. If there was one thing she knew, it was that booze and horniness was usually a bad mixture for any male, especially a Turian. Sometimes they just wouldn't listen to reason, or back down. She nonchalantly brought her hands up to her chest and proceeded on cracking every knuckle as she prepared herself to fight each and every one of them off. Then suddenly in the distance, she heard,

"Keep your filthy hands off her!"

"Hey, man, go find your own!"

It was Garrus, looking none the happier and all too pissed at what he was seeing. Garrus shook his head while his eyes lit up with rage, his mandibles flexing with tension as he stormed towards the troupe, bringing his fist back as he lunged at the leader, hooking him right across the chin, forcing his head to snap to the side from the sheer force. It was then that the former C-Sec officer came across and slammed his other fist into his groin until he heard the snapping noise of his lower plates. It might have been considered a low blow, but that was the least that bastard deserved for preying on his woman and he was determined to make him pay in full. The others fled, hearing him scream in agony, but it only fueled Garrus's hatred as he then proceeded to grip the other Turian's throat in his hand, forcefully choking him as he pounded his head, watching as his face cracked and tore at the blunt force of his armored fist, bright blue blood oozing out of every gash.

"Garrus, that's enough! Stand down!" Shepard ordered as she grabbed onto his arm, preventing him from hitting him again.

He quickly turned his head in her direction, staring at the expression on her face as he loosened his grip. In moments he began to regain his composure, pulling his arm away from her as he stood to his feet, looking down at the human with a frustrated expression. Garrus then switched his sights on his victim, who had surprisingly remained conscious through the entire beating, giving him a cold stare. Whatever fire that remained in his eyes told him that he would be ready to put a bullet in his skull next time. This is why he hated Omega, because of the trash that littered the streets, preying on those they deemed helpless.

As he calmed his breathing, he brought the back of his arm to his forehead, wiping away any blood that had splattered on his face as he finally turned to her and asked,

"Are you okay?"

Shepard ignored him as she grabbed his arm once more and pulled him down into the lower levels of Afterlife, leading him to a secluded spot where they wouldn't be seen. If nothing else, they needed to move in order to avoid security. When she had found a suitable area, the woman released him from her grasp and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you."

The silence between them was awkward. They had hardly spoken since their tiff in the shower and the news they received from Mordin and Chakwas. Shepard and Garrus tried to avoid the other since they landed on Omega and this was the first time they were alone with each other.

"You should have let me finished what I started."

Shepard stared up at the Turian, lightly shaking her head as she allowed her hands to fall to her side.

"Look, I know you're upset, but I could have handled that."

"Really? You always tell me to follow my instincts and I did. I just wanted to protect you. What do _you_ want from _me_, Shepard?"

"Garrus..."

Her hand started to slowly shift, making it's way to his face, but just before her fingertips could graze over his toughened skin, he grabbed her hand with his own, staring down into her dark brown orbs with his sapphire ones. She returned his gaze, moving her body closer to him while her eyes scanned their way down to his lip plates. In one fell swoop, Garrus clutched her hand tighter in his and pulled her closer to him, slipping his free hand to rest at the small of her back as he leaned in, planting a firm, yet gentle kiss on her soft lips. Turning his head to the side, he opened his mouth, pressing his warm tongue against hers. He held her tightly against him as they kissed, moving their tongues in unison. After a moment, Garrus pulled away and murmured into her mouth,

"You're such a stubborn woman..."

"Let's go. We should head back before the others think something's happened to us..."


End file.
